What are claims, supports, and warrants?

A claim is, as the name suggests, a claim that the author is making, a key point. The evidence that is given to back it up is known as a support, and the link between the two is called a warrant.

A warrant can be explicit (e.g., “We need to reduce adolescent obesity rates because they have contributed to a terrifying spike in early-onset diabetes”) or implicit (e.g., “Adolescents today have higher rates of obesity, and there has also been an alarming rise in early-onset diabetes”). In this case, the reader is invited or expected to draw the link between the two halves of the statement.

Analyzing claims, supports, and warrants is often part of a rhetorical analysis essay.